After Occupy

Economic Democracy for the 21st Century

Tom Malleson

The first work to engage in a robust and sustained comparison between social democracy and economic democracy in terms of both social justice and economic efficiency

Offers a lively and optimistic strategy for a post-Occupy progressive economic agenda

Deftly examines the main institutions of the economy-workplaces, the market, and financial and investment industry-looking at democratic possibilities in each

After Occupy

Economic Democracy for the 21st Century

Tom Malleson

Description

These days, it is easy to be cynical about democracy. Even though there are more democratic societies now (119 and counting) than ever before, skeptics can point to low turnouts in national elections, the degree to which money corrupts the process, and the difficulties of mass participation in complex systems as just a few reasons why the system is flawed. The Occupy movement in 2011 proved that there is an emphatic dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs, particularly with the economy, but, ultimately, it failed to produce any coherent vision for social change. So what should progressives be working toward? What should the economic vision be for the 21st century?

After Occupy boldly argues that democracy should not just be a feature of political institutions, but of economic institutions as well. In fact, despite the importance of the economy in democratic societies, there is very little about it that is democratic. Questioning whether the lack of democracy in the economy might be unjust, Tom Malleson scrutinizes workplaces, the market, and financial and investment institutions to consider the pros and cons of democratizing each. He considers examples of successful efforts toward economic democracy enacted across the globe, from worker cooperatives in Spain to credit unions and participatory budgeting measures in Brazil and questions the feasibility of expanding each. The book offers the first comprehensive and radical vision for democracy in the economy, but it is far from utopian. Ultimately, After Occupy offers possibility, demonstrating in a remarkably tangible way that when political democracy evolves to include economic democracy, our societies will have a chance of meaningful equality for all.

After Occupy

Economic Democracy for the 21st Century

Tom Malleson

Table of Contents

AcknowledgementsPart One: Introduction1. Introduction 2. Economic Democracy: Beginning Orientations Part Two: Workplaces3. Should Workplaces be Democratized? 4. Worker Cooperatives in Practice Part Three: The Market System5. Democracy and the Market System 6. Democratizing the Market System Part Four: Finance and Investment7. Should Finance and Investment be Democratized? 8. Finance and Investment Democracy in Practice: Capital Controls, Public Banks, and Participatory Budgeting Part Five: Conclusion9. Towards a Feasible Socialism for the 21st Century Bibliography

After Occupy

Economic Democracy for the 21st Century

Tom Malleson

Author Information

Tom Malleson is an Assistant Professor in the Social Justice and Peace Studies program at King's University College at Western University, Canada. He is the co-editor of Whose Streets? The Toronto G20 and the Challenges of Summit Protest (Between the Lines, 2011) and the author of Stand Up Against Capitalism (Between the Lines and New Internationalist, 2014).

After Occupy

Economic Democracy for the 21st Century

Tom Malleson

Reviews and Awards

"Compared to most contemporary social science literature, After Occupy is an unusual book. It not only provides an incisive critique of society generally and the world of work specifically; but also provides a radical and achievable alternative. The normative principles which guide the research are explained and justified in a refreshingly upfront manner, providing the book with a clear purpose and sense of direction which make for a highly engaging read." --Work, Employment, and Society

"Though his efforts seem unlikely to please everyone -- perhaps most notably those in concerted alignment with neoliberalism, and those who might be quick to flatly reject any proposition that sustains so much of the basic form of society -- Malleson argues compellingly for a thorough re-examination of economics through a 'democracy' lens. His focus on non-revolutionary change, and his insistence on building up from already existing systems and processes, lends plausibility to his ideas." --Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research

"[Tom Malleson] shows how these ideas [of economic democracy] have worked in social democratic countries and why they are worth serious consideration." --Publishers Weekly

"This is a wonderful book - concise, well-argued, impassioned. Our present political system is broken. Our present economic system is broken. But, argues Malleson, another world is possible, a far better world - not pie-in-the sky, but a 'realistic utopia,' the key institutions of which can be specified and rigorously defended, for elements of this 'new world' are already present and have been carefully studied. As Malleson makes clear, our future is not determined. It could be the economic/environmental dystopia toward which neoliberal capitalism is taking us - or a sane, humane, genuinely democratic world. Malleson's clear-eyed analysis offers reasons for hope." --David Schweickart, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University of Chicago

"Drawing on and integrating a wealth of knowledge from political philosophy and political economy, as well as his rich appreciation of existing examples of economic democracy from around the world, Tom Malleson convincingly argues for Economic Democracy as a feasible and desirable alternative to which 21st-century economic justice movements should aspire. This book offers all the key components of a comprehensive alternative vision: close analysis and critique of existing economic structures, careful thought about how workplaces and investment might be democratized, and clear moral thinking about why such an alternative is so badly needed. Rigorously argued and engaging all the hard questions, After Occupy is an accessible and essential one-stop shop for academics and activists serious about creating a democratic alternative to the failing status quo." --Thad Williamson, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law, University of Richmond

"Tom Malleson's After Occupy provides an exceptionally insightful and nuanced defense of economic democracy. It combines sophisticated philosophical analysis of normative issues with careful empirical discussion of the actual practice of democracy in different kinds of economic institutions. The discussion never indulges in simple cheer-leading for democratic principles, yet also never loses sight of the serious aspirations for a meaningfully democratic world. It is a superb piece of work." -- Erik Olin Wright, Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of Envisioning Real Utopias

"Malleson's emphasis on the trade-offs of democratising the economy make him an important and original voice in contemporary radical economics." --Elliot Murphy, The New Left Project

"After Occupy provides an exceptionally insightful and nuanced defense of economic democracy. It combines sophisticated philosophical analysis of normative issues with careful empirical discussion of the actual practice of democracy in different kinds of economic institutions. The discussion never indulges in simple cheer-leading for democratic principles, yet also never loses sight of the serious aspirations for a meaningfully democratic world. It is a superb piece of work." -- Erik Olin Wright, Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of Envisioning Real Utopias

After Occupy

Economic Democracy for the 21st Century

Tom Malleson

From Our Blog

How do we address the problem of inequality in capitalist societies? Tom Malleson, the author of After Occupy: Economic Democracy for the 21st Century, argues that by making sure that democracy exists in both our economy and in our government, we may be able to achieve meaningful equality throughout society.